Even as the enquiry into custom rice milling scam in Jharsuguda district has been intensified, action has not yet been taken against secretaries of 20 Primary Agriculture Credit Societies (PACS) as paddy procurement process is underway.
Earlier, District Civil Supplies Officer PDM Khosla, ACSO Sandip Guru and Senior Accounts Supervisor Chintamani Naik were suspended by State Government for their involvement in the scam. The owner of Bajrangbali Rice Mill submitted fake bank guarantee of Rs 1.1 crore and is yet to hand over 34,575 quintals of rice to supply department.
The rice mill located at Pandaripathar has been sealed by the officials.
The Additional Registrar of Cooperative Societies, Jharsuguda has informed about the fake documents used in transportation of rice through 54 trucks from various PACS as the vehicle numbers mentioned are later found to be of bikes, scooters, bullets etc. Besides, 28 such vehicle owners, during interrogation, have denied to have transported any such paddy. The scam has been made public after the RTO revealed about the vehicles.
The concerned PACS secretaries were issued show-cause notices and asked to reply within 14 days about fake vehicle numbers. The department has received their responses. However, action against them has been delayed on the advice of district Collector as paddy purchase is under progress.